The press release below details the news of the IMC’s associated film ‘Son of Babylon’ being selected as Iraq’s official entry for the Oscars.

‘Son of Babylon’ Iraq’s official selection for Foreign Language Film at Academy Awards 2011.

By Cecily Barber

July 6 at 13:00, Karlovy Vary IFF, Czech Republic – Human Film and Iraq Al-Rafidain are delighted to announce that following the huge success, Son of Babylon has been chosen as Iraq’s official entry in the run up to the nominations for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2011 Academy Awards.

The awards, better known as the Oscars, are amongst the most prestigious awards a film can win and Son of Babylon’s backing, by Iraq’s Ministry of Culture, goes some of the way to show how the power of cinema can bring pride and unity to a troubled country. If nominated, Son of Babylon will be the first Iraqi film to be in the running for this award, and as a low budget feature film, this is a historic feat for the film and filmmakers.

Based on true events and the repercussions of living under Saddam’s tyranny, this film seeks to help heal the wounds of Iraq and aid the country on its quest to unity and reconciliation of the past, allowing the country to move forward towards a brighter future. The film’s humanitarian content has globally impacted audiences, critics and juries alike, picking up the Peace Award and the Amnesty International Film award at Berlin IFF this year. The film has been critically acclaimed for it’s visual aesthetics, collecting the Artistic Achievement award at Cinema City (Serbia), and received a special mention at Edinburgh IFF in June. Whilst the director Mohamed Al-Daradji was honoured with an Emerging Master spotlight this year at Seattle IFF and Cinema City IFF.

Son of Babylon was catapulted into the international spotlight during it’s North American premiere at Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival 2010; the festival’s Sundance Institute was the first to spot the potential in the film and it’s makers from a very early stage, getting involved with the project in development. Now with the prospect of inclusion in the Academy Awards, the filmmakers will realise their dreams to revive Iraq’s fledgling cultural legacy, as well as being recognised for the highly creative and artistic merit of the film.

Alongside the film, the charity IRAQ’S MISSING CAMPAIGN (IMC) is being launched and hopes to find answers as to the whereabouts of those missing loved ones since Saddam’s regime. The campaign, which reflects the reality of the film’s central theme, is gathering momentum and hopes to bring international recognition and aid to the identification of bodies unearthed in Iraq’s mass graves. Son of Babylon’s selection for a potential nomination of an Academy Award would mean the human rights atrocities that the film and campaign speak out about, could be propelled into the international spotlight creating awareness alongside the film, allowing significant steps to be made towards the rebuilding of Iraq.

Son of Babylon is the second film by the director and shows a mature and artistic progression in his vision and storytelling from festival favorite Ahlaam; Al-Daradji’s debut feature. His most recently completed documentary Iraq: War, Love, God & Madness is set to hit the festival circuit later this year.† The cultural impact on Iraq cannot be underestimated and with Son of Babylon being such a visual masterpiece, as well as a compelling human story, it is a well-deserved recognition, which the Academy Award voters cannot deny has all the elements an Oscar winning film should have:
NOTES :

Ahlaam: screened at over 125 international film festivals and received more than 22 Awards also represented Iraq for Oscar and Golden Globe consideration in 2007.

Son of Babylon has succeeded in creating a bridge of unity between the West and the Middle East, through the shared vision of Human Film (UK/NL), Iraq Al-Rafidain (IRAQ), Crm-114 (FRANCE), Cinema Production Centre (Palestine), Sundance Institute (US), UK Film Council, Screen Yorkshire, UK Trade & Investment (UK), Fond Sud & CNC (France), Hivos, Doen, Nederlands Fonds voor de Film and Rotterdam Media Fonds (Netherlands), Royal Film Commission (Jordan), Sunnyland Film ART, Mawred Fund (Egypt), Pyramedia and ADACH (UAE), world sales with Roissy Films, Paris.

Iraq: War, Love, God & Madness is an 82 minute film looking at the harrowing, perilous living conditions in post-invasion Baghdad. Caught between local militias, foreign fighters and suspicious American forces, Mohamed Al-Daradji and his motley crew of volunteers face immense danger and huge hurdles as they try to make art in a war† zone. I would welcome the opportunity to send you a copy of the film for possible consideration.

As well as reaching our aim of 10,000 signatures, we would also like to aim to have the petition signed by someone in nearly every country of the world. Please see the map below to view all countries in which the petition has been signed. If you know anyone in an unmarked country please forward them the petition.

The Mass Graves Global Campaign, Iraq’s Missing, led by the Iraq’s Missing Organisation in Iraq and in the UK, draws its strength from the success of the feature film Son of Babylon, and aims to create a platform for international organizations to work together to secure the co-operation of governments ... Continue reading →